Just Sleeping
by Kitai Shinsei
Summary: Riku is with Sora in his last moments. Sniffle


Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts so Sora and Riku are not mine. The song "Into the West" belongs to Howard Shore and the rest of the Lord of the Rings squad.

Dedication: To my best friend Suki as this entire fic is all her fault. She refused to take the idea from our muse so the poor kid had to shove the idea into my mind.

Author's Notes: I cried while writing this. This is perhaps the angstiest fic I've written in my whole entire life, and it doesn't even contain suicide. Please review, Riku sings!

Warnings: Severe angst and character death, also hints at Sora/Riku slash.

~*~

It was nice that they had allowed Sora to come home, Riku mused as he sat by his best friend's bed, staring at his pale, motionless face, willing those sapphire blue eyes to open, just one more time.

He did not hold out too much hope of that happening. This was Sora's deathbed and everyone knew it. Sora had been fifteen when he had contracted the leukaemia and now, one year later, it had progressed so far that the doctors were holding out no hope of him ever pulling through. They had tried everything to try and hold the cancer at bay, but it had barely responded to the chemotherapy and all that had happened was that Sora had lost his wonderful coffee-brown hair. 

The white-haired boy's gaze flickered to the yellow bandanna that was wrapped tightly around his friend's scalp, almost concealing the fact that the younger boy was completely bald. And that wasn't even the biggest change. Sora's skin was pale, pasty and yellowish, the skin flaking as though from a suntan. His lips were dry and cracked, and he had lost so much weight that his skin literally hung on him. His chest heaved with every fought-for breath.

Riku took the hand that was closest to him. It was cool and dry and the bones felt as fragile as a baby bird's in his own strong grip. Time was when Sora would have beaten him in arm wrestling. Not anymore. 

The older boy sniffed loudly. He would _not_ cry. He had done enough of that. Sora expected him to be strong, as always. Sora had always relied on him to be strong, even when he had fought against the unstoppable darkness.

But how could he be strong for Sora when his friend was fighting a battle only he could fight? How could he do anything to help when even the doctors with all their advanced medicine could do nothing to help a boy who needed bone marrow for a blood type so rare they almost gave up at the beginning?

The hand he held squeezed his lightly and Riku looked up sharply to study his friend's face. The pale eyelids fluttered, and miraculously Sora opened them, to gaze upon Riku with their cerulean depths. 

"Ri…ku…" The younger boy whispered hoarsely between heaving breaths. "You…came…"

"I never left, baka." Riku joked gently, and was rewarded with a small smile on Sora's lips. The cracks on the pale pink flesh opening slightly to spill a few drops of crimson blood that was almost surreal in the stark contrast to the pasty skin.

"I…need you…to…do some…something…for…me…" Sora said, sweat beading on his forehead from the effort it was taking to talk.

"Anything." Riku said, clutching the boy's hand as if he might be snatched from him at any moment. "What do you need?"

"Sing…me a…lulla…lullaby…" The eyes closed and Sora fought harder to breathe.

"I don't know any lullabies. Can I sing you something else?" Riku asked, praying that Sora wouldn't hear the catch in his voice as his own breath caught in his throat. 

Sora nodded, almost imperceptibly and Riku took a deep breath and began to sing, his voice trembling ever so slightly.

"Lay down your sweet and weary head

Night is falling, you've come to journey's end.

Sleep now and dream of the ones who came before

They are calling from across the distant shore

Why do they weep?

What are these tears upon your face

Soon you will see

All of your fears will pass away

Safe in my arms, you're only sleeping."

The faint smile appeared once again on Sora's face and he opened his eyes again to look at Riku singing the familiar tune. He stopped struggling to breath so hard.

"What can you see on the horizon?

Why do the white gulls call?

Across the sea on pale horizons

The ships have come to carry you home

Dawn will turn to silver glass

The light on the water, all souls pass"

Sora was not breathing at all now, his eyes stared unseeingly at some place over Riku's shoulder and his hand was slack in his friend's grip. Tears flowed freely down the white-haired boy's cheeks as he doggedly carried on fulfilling his best friend's final wish.

"Hope fades into the world of night

Through shadows falling out of memory and time

Don't say we have come now to the end

White shores are calling, you and I will meet again

Then you'll be here in my arms, just sleeping

What can you see on the horizon?

Why do the white gulls call?

Across the sea on pale horizons

The ships have come to carry you home

And dawn will turn to silver glass

The light on the water, grey ships pass

Into the west."

Riku sat, trembling, and stared at the fixed look on Sora's face. With a shaking hand, he reached over and, with the gentlest of caresses, closed the boy's eyes, before leaning over and kissing him softly on the lips. Swallowing back sobs, he stood to go downstairs and call Sora's mother who had fallen asleep on the couch a few hours before.

He turned back to look at the body of his best friend. The smile was still etched on his lips and he looked serene and peaceful. 

It was as if he was only sleeping.

~*~

Finally got this out of my system. So SAD. *Sniffle* My poor Sora-Kun… well…at least I know my new angst muse works. -_-;;;

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